David Gaughran's Blog, page 34

If You Go Into The Woods – On Sale Now For 99 Cent

I have some exciting news. I set up my own publishing company – Arriba Arriba Books – to publish my short stories as e-books for $0.99 each. You can read them on your laptop, computer, iPhone, smartphone, iPad, or e-reader. The first release – IF YOU GO INTO THE WOODS – is available now from Amazon.

I have a special deal to kick things off – two stories for the price of one – both creepy tales set in a world that's not quite right. Here's a quick taste of what you get for $0.99: 

IF YOU GO...

E-Book Sales Explode In The UK – Up 300% in 2010, Children's Up 500%

Picture from thinkartificial.org

Last time we talked about how e-book dominance is inevitable, and how the US is leading the charge. Pretty much everyone pegs the UK market as being around a year behind the US. However, latest figures show the gap may be closing.

The Publishers Association (PA) has revealed staggering e-book growth in 2010.

In figures just released this morning, UK e-book sales – across all categories – have grown to over £16m ($26m), growing by over 300% on 2009 levels. By end ...

Stop Fighting It, E-book Dominance Is Inevitable

I have a confession to make. I've never really liked hardbacks.

Now, don't get me wrong. I like looking at them. I like touching them. I like holding them. I think they are beautiful objects.

I just don't like reading from them, they are cumbersome, heavy, uncomfortable to read when lying down, and difficult to lug from place to place.

And they are expensive. The cloth cover, acid-free paper, and pristine dust-jacket all cost money. When the publisher factors in storage, delivery, and returns...

Sneak Preview of My First E-Book: If You Go Into The Woods

Hi all,

I just uploaded my first e-book to Amazon, Smashwords, and Xinxii. It should be available for download in a few days for the low, low price of $0.99. It will probably appear on Amazon first, by Tuesday I would think, barring any glitches. I'll let you know when it does, in case you want to check it out.

I wanted to give you a sneak preview of the cover and the description. The cover is on the left, and it was designed by my sister. It's amazing, I can't stop staring at it (but probably ...

Indie Publishing for International Writers, Step 5: Market Your Story Part 1, Websites & Blogs

This is the fifth post in my continuing series INDIE PUBLISHING FOR INTERNATIONAL WRITERS, a step-by-step guide to getting your stories into (digital) print. I'll be doing each step with you, learning as you do, because I've never done this before either.

Step 5: Market Your Story Part 1, Websites & Blogs

So you have written your story, added your cover design, had your work edited, gone through the pain of formatting for the first time, and now everything is uploaded and available on all the a

Exciting News & Great Early Reviews – The Short Story America Anthology, Volume 1

I have some exciting news.

A few months back Short Story America chose one of my stories to appear in their Anthology of their Best Stories of 2010. The hardback edition was released today. My story that was chosen is called Into The Woods.

The collection is a monster: 56 stories in total – 544 pages – which should keep you going for a while. I've read a few of the other stories in the collection and they are excellent.

There are paperback, e-book, and audio (both MP3 and CD) versions planned...

Haiku #9: How It All Began

From the darkness the

birds  sing, drawing him from the

path, into the woods.

Indie Publishing for International Writers, Step 4: Format Your Story

This is the fourth post in my continuing series INDIE PUBLISHING FOR INTERNATIONAL WRITERS, a step-by-step guide to getting your stories into (digital) print. I'll be doing each step with you, learning as you do, because I've never done this before either.

Step Four: Format Your Story

All those different e-readers and devices use different software to display e-books, but there are a few industry standard file formats. What we are going to learn today is the digital equivalent of typesetting...

Could Piracy Be Good For You?

When music industry revenues collapsed after the introduction of MP3s, many writers became worried. While musicians have been able to find alternative income streams – including touring and merchandise – writers generally have one: their stories. Not even Stephen King or J.K. Rowling would fill a stadium for a reading, and most mid-list authors and new writers are lucky if there is a decent turn-out for a free bookstore appearance.

In my last post on piracy, I covered how the measures the...

Do You Prefer Print Books? Enjoy Them While You Can

While I might beat the self-publishing drum at times, I don't celebrate when I hear publishers are in trouble, or bookstores are closing down, because there are always people behind the headlines, and it has ramifications for the entire book world.

The closure of bookstores, in particular, is disheartening.

And when people say – as a lot of my friends do – that they have no interest in e-books, and can't imagine ever using an e-reader, I get it. People have an emotional attachment to print...